


The Final Battle

by Paige_Turner36



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anti-CS, Anti-Emma, Anti-Hook, Episode AU: post S06E09, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Permanent character death(s), Rumple the Saviour, Shears of Destiny, Storybrooke (Once Upon a Time), the Dark One dagger, the Dark Realm, the Shadow Scimitar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 06:23:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21174884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paige_Turner36/pseuds/Paige_Turner36
Summary: Sequel to Tears of an Angel...





	The Final Battle

**Author's Note:**

> …because I hate angst.
> 
> Tears of an Angel: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21124136/chapters/50268458

Belle stood in the middle of Main Street clutching the Shears of Destiny in her hand. The greatest weakness of the Villain – they love monologuing. And the Dark One really shouldn’t have left something like that lying around.

With all the books in her library destroyed, Belle had searched the archives at the Convent of the Sisters of Saint Meissa and had found a scroll on the Shears of Destiny. She had read the list of all the people the Shears had been used on, and by whom, throughout its long history. And one name had shocked her.

But it was hope. It had to be. It was his only chance. And their son’s.

‘Rumplestiltskin… Rumplestiltskin… Rumpelstiltskin…’

The Dark One appeared behind her. He had dispensed with Mr Gold’s suit and now wore his dragon-hide leathers. ‘Hadn’t we had settled this? Rumplestiltskin is dead. Nothing of that sad, pathetic little man remains. Except his good looks.’

‘Yet you came when I called,’ Belle pointed out.

He gave a casual flick of his hand. ‘Old habits. And, legally, we are married. So? Come to defeat the villain, little hero?

‘I’m not a hero. I never was. I’m just a girl who’s trying to be brave.’

‘Are you brave enough to make a deal with the devil?’

‘No. I’ve come for my husband.’

‘_Husband_?’ The Dark One giggled nastily. ‘You haven’t spoken to him in weeks! But I suppose you want to make-up with him now he’s suddenly all _interesting_.’

‘You’re possessing him, you sick parasite! And for the record, I’ve always found him interesting!’

‘Even if he could hear you, I don’t think “Wumple, pwease help me clean up my mess” is enough of an incentive to come back.’

‘Last chance to do this the nice way,’ Belle warned him. ‘Give Rumple back to me, or –’

‘You’ll make me? The dagger won’t work now, dearie. I’ve consumed his soul.’

As if to highlight the point, he pulled out the dagger and Belle saw the entire blade was black. Rumplestiltskin’s name erased from the wavy metal.

‘I don’t need the dagger,’ Belle assured him. ‘And not me – Rumple.’

She held up the Shears of Destiny.

The Dark One drew a sharp breath through his teeth and tutted, shaking his head. ‘Tut, tut, tut. Has it really come to this? You disappoint me, dearie. That’s your plan? To cut me out of Rumple? To force Gideon to be good? By cutting them from their fate? The very thing you gave your son away to stop Rumple from doing? That’s hypocritical of you, Belle. But I forget – _you_ get to be the judge of when the end justifies the means. It’s not dark or evil when Belle does it, because she’s a “hero”. No one’s allowed to decide your fate and yet you’re allowed to decide the fate of everyone around you.’

‘I did think about it,’ Belle admitted, staring at the cursed shears that had done more harm than either of them realised. ‘But you’re right. I would be a hypocrite. And whilst they can still cut through flesh rather nicely, I have no intension of using the Shears of Destiny.’

The Dark One frowned. ‘Then what _are_ you going to do?’

Something very brave, very stupid and possibly quite dangerous. ‘This.’

Belle snapped the shears in two.

She had expected an almighty explosion, for the earth to tremble, having destroyed such a powerful object. But it was like breaking a toothpick, with the only exception of the golden blades melting into nothingness and what breaking the shears wrought. With a _whoosh_, thousands and thousands of specks of light came out of the broken shears, blowing their hair as they flew in every direction; filling the streets, shooting into the air and spreading across the world, across the realms, restoring the stolen destinies they had severed.

One speck of light, the brightest of them all, hit the Dark One squarely in the chest. He gasped as if stabbed, dropping the dagger as he clutched his heart. Then he sank to his knees, doubling over, convulsing. Then he went still, gasping for breath.

Belle stepped forwards cautiously. ‘Dark One?’

No reply.

Belle swallowed. ‘…Rumple?’

Rumple raised his head, his soft brown eyes shining out starkly against his golden skin.

‘Rumple…!’ Belle breathed in relief. It worked!

But far from looking pleased to see her, Rumple’s eyes looked pained as he gazed at her. So sad. So hurt. Why wouldn’t he? She did take his son away from him, even before he was born.

This pregnancy should have been a time of joy for both of them. Belle being a first time mother and Rumple enjoying all the pregnancy moments he’d missed with Bae while he’d been drafted into the Ogres War. But Belle had denied him everything. She had shut him out. She had attended the first ultrasound without him. He would have missed the first time the baby kicked. He had now missed the birth of both his sons. She had sent him away, probably indefinitely, without allowing Rumple even a glimpse of his newborn son. And he had been denied any input in giving him a name.

There was no denying it. Gideon had been _her_ son, not _their_ son. From the name _French_ on the sonogram to her naming him after the hero of her favourite book. And she had done this to him on the word of a dream.

‘I’m sorry, Rumple,’ said Belle regretfully. ‘I’m truly sorry.’

Rumple didn’t respond. Maybe he wasn’t able to. But Belle needed him to know that.

‘What I took from you I can never give back. There’s nothing that I can offer you to make up for what you’ve already lost. But I can give back what once was yours. Your fate. Can you feel it? That’s your magic. I knew you were a good man, Rumple. I knew that there was a hero inside you. But even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined… the_ Saviour_! And that’s why you must take it back. Not for me. For yourself. You had natural born Light Magic, the most powerful magic of all. And it was taken from you. By your own mother. You don’t need the Dark One. You can protect yourself and your loved ones without him; without damaging yourself or hurting others. Your heart is pure. You are full of love. You don’t need the Darkness. It’s the Darkness that needs you. You’re a lot stronger than he says you are. And he knows it. Be free of him. Become who you were born to be. Who you were always meant to be. Please. Come back. Don’t let go.’

For a long moment, Rumple neither move nor spoke. Then Rumple closed his eyes, tilted his head back. In his mind, Rumple allowed every happy memory, every moment of light in his life to fill him up as he allowed the light, his magic, his birthright, to flow through him, purging the Darkness in its wake. He opened his glowing white eyes towards the sky, his mouth stretched wide in a silent scream, the death scream of the Dark One, as the scales peeled away from his illuminated skin like flakes of ashes, rising into the air and disappearing into the atmosphere.

The light shone so bright Belle had to shield her eyes, and even as it dimmed she had to blink hard to erase the flash from her vision. The power of the Light and Darkness running through his veins… Oh Gods, what if she’d killed him? She squinted desperately, trying to see. But all she could make out was a white light in the shape of a man kneeling on the ground.

‘Rumple? Rumple?’

The light faded, leaving Rumplestiltskin kneeling in the middle of the road, looking human again. His hair was short once more. He was now wearing a gold waistcoat with a high collar over a white tunic and brown leather trousers and boots. He stared morosely at his glowing white hand, turning it this way and that, completely unenthusiastic in contrast to Belle’s disbelieving relief.

Rumple extinguished the light and struggled to his feet.

‘Oh Rumple!’ Belle ran to him, helping him to stand. She knew she was pushing it, but she didn’t care. She was just so happy that it worked. Rumple was back! The Darkness was defeated! And if she could save him she could save Gideon! Everything was going to be all right! ‘That wasn’t our son in the Dream World! It was the Black Fairy – your mother! I think she pretended to be our son to turn me against you so she could take him.’

Upset, Rumple sighed and gently pulled his arm free, not looking at her.

‘Wow…’ said Rumple deadpan, turning away. ‘Isn’t that interesting?’

He slowly walked away, rubbing his wedding ring. He was alive but not happy to be so. He was free of the Darkness, but no lighter. His fate was restored, but he still felt incomplete. He had his Saviour magic back, but it was too little too late. They were together, but not together. She had saved him and lost him too.

Belle’s breath hitched and she followed, but kept her distance. ‘Wait… Wait, please, I – I know you’ll never forgive me, and I don’t blame you – I wouldn’t forgive me either.’

Rumple stopped walking, but he didn’t look at her. But at least he was listening.

‘I was ignorant and irresponsible and close-minded. But our son shouldn’t have to suffer… _Gideon_ –’ Rumple’s back stiffened at finally knowing his son’s name. ‘– Gideon shouldn’t have to suffer because of my mistakes. I have to fix this. But I can’t do it without you.’

Still Rumple didn’t look at her.

‘And… and after we’re done –’ Belle choked up as she fought in vain not to cry. ‘You can hate me, and… and that’ll be fine, because I was a horrible True Love, and I hurt you,’ Belle sobbed harder, ‘and you… and you can walk away knowing that you were right all along –’ She sniffed loudly. ‘I really am a foolish, gullible girl!’

Everything is silent, except for Belle crying. It stretched on for so long that she felt sure that when she opened her eyes again he would have disappeared. In a soft flash of white light Rumple materialised in front of her and tenderly wiped away her tears, causing Belle to gasp and look up into his face.

‘A foolish, gullible girl who just defeated the darkest curse in all the realms and restored all the stolen fates,’ said Rumple softly, his eyes shining with love. ‘That’s not bad, eh?’

Belle smiled, crying tears of joy. She rested her head on Rumple’s chest and they hugged as she continued to cry. Rumple pulled her closer, stroking her back as gently rocking her backwards and forwards.

‘We just… we just went the wrong way last time, that’s all,’ said Rumple soothingly, his voice becoming tearful at the joy of having his darling Belle in his arms again. ‘This time let’s get it right.’

They pulled apart, but remained close, still holding each other.

‘Now come on. We have work to do. Our son needs us. He’s lost in the dark and we must bring him home.’

‘He’s so angry,’ Belle told him sadly. ‘So dark. He’s already killed because of what they did to us.’

Rumple gently stroked her bruised cheek with the back of his fingers. ‘Whatever he is now, whatever he became, he remains our son.’

‘He hates me.’

‘He’s angry and in pain, but he doesn’t hate you. He killed those people because they hurt us. His family. Why would he do that if he didn’t care? I’m not saying our son was right to kill them, but I understand where he’s coming from. The others might see a cold-hearted murderer. I see the irrational act of someone so blind with pain they think they're reaching for the cure when, in fact, it's just more poison. I know. I’ve done it myself. The Charmings didn’t give up on their child and neither will we.’

‘Emma says he’s beyond saving.’

Rumple snorted derisively, shaking his head. ‘Don’t listen to them. They only ever see things in black and white.’

Belle bit her lip. ‘What if they’re right? What if we have lost him?’

‘We haven’t,’ said Rumple confidently.

‘How can you be so sure?’

Rumple smiled at his wife. ‘I was lost and you found me. Everyone else would’ve given up on me, but you didn’t.’

‘But I did,' said Belle guiltily. _I'll fight for him! I'll never stop fighting for him! _'I had to break the Shears of Destiny just to bring you back.’

‘That may have woken me up, but I had to make the choice to come back. Miss Swan might have convinced herself that Gideon is beyond saving, but what she really means is that he doesn’t want to be saved right now. Once we discover why, once we discover how to change his mind, I have no doubt that he can be saved.’

‘But Emma’s the Saviour. She would know if someone could be saved, wouldn’t she?’

Rumplestiltskin snorted again. ‘A couple of years ago Miss Swan thought we were fairytales or deluded hermits and suddenly she considers herself an expert on redemption? She’s only the Saviour because I put a drop of her parents’ True Love on the Dark Curse. Not to mention the lengths they went to make sure she grew up good.’

‘I just thought that she’d understand. She was the Dark One; she should understand firsthand a villain’s viewpoint.’

‘I think she’s tried to erase that time from her memory.’ Rumplestiltskin’s laugh was bitter. ‘And the fact her lapdog tried to kill us all to hurt her. Or perhaps she thinks because they were cursed it’s neither here nor there.’

Belle shook her head. ‘I’ve always wanted to be a hero, but if being selfish and close-minded is what being a hero is, I don’t want to be like that.’ She squared her shoulders. ‘I want to save our son, and if Emma and the others don’t think that’s heroic, that’s fine with me.’

‘Oh Belle, you were always a hero.’ Rumple squeezed her hand. ‘You’re my hero.’

‘And you’re mine. Thank you. Thank you for showing me that darkness can always find the light.’ Now it was Belle who squeezed his hand. ‘I’m still proud of you.’

‘You… you are?’ Rumplestiltskin’s dark eyes were wide with surprise, and Belle smiled.

‘I am.’

‘Thank you, Belle.’ His voice was a soft whisper that she could barely hear, but it made Belle’s heart pitter patter excitedly.

‘How are you feeling?’ Belle asked anxiously.

She couldn’t imagine how Rumple was feeling. The Dark One one minute, the Saviour of Mankind the next. Questioning everything he ever thought he knew about himself. She remembered the mistake she had made demanding a curseless Rumple to be a hero when he had barely survived from being the Dark One with little or no time to adjust being without the armour he had lived with for centuries. If the Charmings got wind he was a Saviour, how quickly would they demand he save them so that their Saviour daughter wouldn’t have to die? As if he didn’t have a choice.

No. Rumple did have a choice. He had been the Saviour two minutes, he’d almost been lost to the Darkness forever, that didn’t mean they should force him to do anything. He needed time to recover, to get his head around it. And whatever he decided to do, it would be his choice.

‘I feel like a fraud,’ said Rumple honestly. ‘All this time I thought I was a worthless coward when I was supposed to be something more. And now that I am, I’ve never felt more like a fraud in my entire life. I know what I am, Belle. I’m no Saviour. I’m not – I can’t –’

Belle hugged Rumple as he seemed to become overwhelmed by it all. Rumple hugged her back, taking deep calming breaths to relieve the tightness in his chest.

‘I saw your name on the list in the Fairy Archives,’ said Belle. ‘I can’t believe Blue never said anything.’

‘Why would she?’ said Rumple bitterly. ‘I’d lost the thing that made me special, important. Without it she just lumped me back with the rest of the ants she sees from on top her high cloud. Only when I became the Dark One did she take notice again. But by then, to her, I was a dark creature that couldn’t love or understand the power of light magic. Now I’m on the “right side” I’m sure she’ll be lovely. Not dark. Not ordinary.’

‘Believe me, Rumple. There’s nothing ordinary about you.’

‘It’s too big,’ said Rumple sounding like a scared child.

‘It is,’ Belle agreed. ‘It’s huge. Imagine how Emma Swan felt. A bail bonds person, growing up in this world, where our stories were just that: stories. And then not only having to accept magic was real, but to be told that she was, in fact, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming – the Saviour – and she had to save everyone. That a whole town of strangers were relying on her to bring back their happy endings – that it was a her job. She’d just gotten used to the idea of being a mother, and suddenly she was being asked to be mother to the world. She wanted it all to be not true. She tried to run away. And I wouldn’t blame her. It’s unfair. It’s unfair to ask anyone to shoulder that responsibility, and it’s unfair to ask you to do the same. If I could do this instead of you, I would. But I can’t. This is who you are.’

‘Everything I was… everything I am… has been a lie.’

‘No, no, no!’ Belle pulled back and cupped his cheek. ‘Knowing what you now know doesn’t mean you’re not who you _were_. _You are Rumplestiltskin_ – no one can take that away from you, not even a pair of stupid scissors. This is no different to when you were the Dark One, when you were Mr Gold. All this means is a new definition of that identity. The incorporation of this new data into who you are. Be who you’ve always been. Just be this as well… from time to time.’

Rumple chuckled mirthlessly. ‘I guess this means no uninterrupted time to ourselves. Ever.’

Belle smiled. ‘To say the least.’

They rested their foreheads against each other. They stayed like that for a long while.

‘I think that was what I was afraid of most,’ said Belle, voicing her concerns. ‘Especially after what happened with Lacey. I didn’t want to lose who I am.’

Always there to reassure her, Rumple said, ‘Sweetheart… You are not the same person I met in that war room all those years ago. Belle, you’ve already changed, but you’re still you.’

‘So…’ Belle looked up at her Saviour husband. ‘What do you think the others are going to say?’

Rumple shrugged, laughing a weak laugh. Then he frowned as his stomach gave a loud, painful rumble. ‘I’m thinking I’m bloody starving. How long have I been away?’

Belle laughed. Then she asked more seriously, ‘When was the last time you had something to eat?’ The fact that Rumple had to think about told her that it had been a while. ‘Then before we do anything else, let’s get some food into you.’

‘But our son,’ Rumple started to protest.

‘The Dark One may not need to eat, but Rumplestiltskin does,’ said Belle firmly. ‘You’ll be no use to Gideon if you faint from starvation.’

They made their way to Granny’s, arm in arm.

‘Rumple,’ said Belle hesitantly. ‘I am sorry. Not just for our son, for everything.’

Rumple shook his head. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he mumbled.

‘Of course it matters.’

‘What matters is our son,’ said Rumple. ‘Anything that compromises him is dangerous. Gideon is our priority. Everything else can wait.’

‘So you have a plan to save him?’

‘We go to the Dark Realm.’

Rumple said it so casually he might have been suggesting they hop on a bus to New York.

‘That’s where it all started, maybe that’s where it’ll all stop. Besides,’ Rumple pulled the Black Fairy’s wand out of his pocket, glaring at it like it was a piece of her, ‘Mother and I need to have a little chat.’

‘Why do we need to go to the Dark Realm when our son is here in Storybrooke?’

‘It’s a place of immense dark power. Time runs differently there. Nothing makes sense. Anything is possible.’

Belle’s eyes widened. ‘So we can save while he’s still a baby! And everything that was done to him will be undone! Everything she did to… Roderick.’

‘Who’s Roderick?’

‘He’s… He _was_ Gideon’s… friend.’

‘A close friend,’ said Rumple, unjudging.

Belle nodded. ‘I think so. Rumple, we can’t leave those children with that woman.’

‘What do you mean?’ said Rumple in surprise. ‘We’re taking them home. All of them.’

‘We – we are?’

‘Well, we can’t leave them there, can we?’

Belle reached up and kissed Rumple on the cheek.

The Dark One dagger lay abandoned behind them; its blank blade clean of the Darkness. Just a useless knife.

*

It was just like in her vision. The Saviour and the hooded figure – the son of the Dark One –locked in an epic swordfight in the middle of the street. Refusing to wait until Gideon Gold decided to kill her, Emma was determined to get in there first, armed with Beowulf’s sword from the pawnshop. Emma was good, successfully cutting her opponent’s cheek, but Gideon was better. Soon she was fighting to keep the upper hand.

With one powerful swing Gideon sliced Emma’s sword in half with his scimitar, knocked her off her feet onto her back and pinned her down with his knees. He held his sword high above his head, ready to plunge it into Emma’s chest.

‘Go on. Do it,’ Emma spat. ‘Kill me like you did Killian. Then I’ll finally be reunited with him.’

‘You really believe heaven is where he’s gone?’ Gideon snarled. ‘The man who wore his murder victims rings like trophies? Hell maybe. Goodbye Emma Swan.’

Gideon raised the sword and gasped as a pulse of white light shuddered out of thin air and swept over them. They turned to look as a crack opened in the air. Gideon’s breath hitched as through it came a squadron of soot covered children dressed in black and clutching their baby blankets or toys, a couple of them carrying a baby, including one with an ‘R’ embroidered on his blanket.

The last to emerge were Mr and Mrs Gold; Rumple carrying a blonde girl clutching a white rabbit toy and holding out his other hand to help Belle step through. She was carrying a baby in her arms.

It was baby Gideon!

Emma looked dumbfounded, adult Gideon looked disbelieving but delighted.

‘You did it,’ Gideon breathed, staring in wonder at his parents. ‘You saved us. You saved me.’

Rumple nodded, smiling as he pulled his wife and child in a one-arm hug. ‘We’re family.’

Belle wrapped her free arm around her husband’s waist. ‘And family never gives up on each other.’

Gideon smiled; his father’s brown eyes over bright with gratitude. With love. Then he seemed to glow gold and, starting at his feet and spreading up his torso, dissipated into a shower of stars. ‘_Thank you…_’

As the stream of gold stars sailed towards his parents, Emma was forced to roll out of the way as the scimitar dropped, almost impaling her. The lights flowed into his younger self. Baby Gideon opened his big brown eyes and gazed up at his mama and papa, cooing at the sight of them.

‘What did you do?’ Emma asked.

‘We saved him,’ Belle told her coldly to the woman who had said their son could not be saved.

‘But if he’s a baby again… then all the damage he did is reversed! Killian, Regina…’

Rumple shook his head regretfully. ‘I’m sorry, Miss Swan.’ And he _was_ sorry.

‘Are you kidding me, Gold?!’ said Emma angrily, leaping to her feet. ‘You two get your son back, but our family is just out of your reach?’

So it was _our_ family again, was it?

‘They were killed by the Shadow Scimitar. It’s just like the Olympian Crystal; its raw power can obliterate everything. It cannot be undone. I am sorry, Emma.’

‘Sure you are, Dark One.’

‘Actually, it’s Saviour.’

Emma gaped at him.

‘Trust me, dearie, it was as much as a shock to me as it is to you. Rest assured, you won’t be dying today, Miss Swan.’

Rumple and Belle beckoned to the children to follow them.

‘Where’re you going?’ said Emma.

‘Well, first we’re going to return these children to their families,’ said Belle, lifting Gideon higher in her arms. ‘And after that, my husband, my son and I are leaving.’

‘Where?’

‘To see the world. It’s bigger than this place.’

And with that Rumple and Belle walked away, the children following them like the Pied Piper. As they walked, Rumple kissed the crown of Belle’s head as they stared lovingly at their son.

A fresh start. A Happy Ending.

No. A Happy _Beginning_…

**Author's Note:**

> Dogma quote from the Metatron - the late great Alan Rickman.
> 
> I know I didn’t show the Black Fairy’s defeat. I’m saving that for another fic where they go to the Dark Realm.


End file.
